A Little Bit of Innocence
by TheArchimage
Summary: Jam calls the whole cast together for a huge party celebrating the grand opening of her restaraunt! Unfortunately, it's not done yet. So Johnny decides instead to whisk them away to an island paradise for a trip none of them are sure to forget!
1. Part 1 : A Slight Change of Plans

Disclaimer: I do not own Guilty Gear. If I did, I'd be practicing how  
to dual-wield Fuenken and Furaiken. Unfortunately, it is currently  
owned by Arc Systems and Sammy, so I'm out of luck. Please do not sue  
me, I have no money.  
  
A Little Bit of Innocence  
A waste of good bandwidth by: TheArchimage  
  
Part 1: A Slight Change of Plans  
-----------------------------  
  
The voice over the intercom blared, "We are now flying over the  
Pacific Ocean, home of many wondrous islands, creatures, and peoples.  
As a matter of fact, if the passengers on the left side of the plane  
would look directly below them, they will see... their shoelaces. HA!  
Made you look! Seriously, if you would direct your attention out the  
window, you will see none other than a legendary kraken waving at us  
as we pass by. Actually... I take that back, that kraken is too busy  
tearing apart that ocean liner to pay us much mind. My mistake!"  
  
Millia's eyebrow twitched slightly. She looked over next to her at  
Jam and asked, "Do we have to listen to him?" Faust continued his  
particular brand of tour guidance, mostly unheeded by the passengers  
except for a few grimacing faces.  
  
Jam sighed as she explained, "Johnny's been trying to shut him up, but  
he can't find where he's hiding. We'll just have to wait."  
  
"...That was not my question." Millia gestured up with her eyes, and  
Jam's eyes followed. Millia's hair had taken the shape of a pair of  
scissors, and was poised to cut the intercom cable.  
  
"Oh," Jam said simply. "Well, I'm not stopping you. Just do it quick  
before Johnny catches you hurting his ship..." A moment later a snip  
was heard, ending Faust's ranting across the deck. A mighty cheer  
went up from the crew of the Mayship, followed by a collective sigh of  
relief.  
  
"Looks like I'm not the only one thankful for that. Great job!" If  
Millia appreciated the thanks, she didn't let it show. She simply  
returned to staring straight ahead, waiting for the ride to be over.  
  
Jam looked around the room at the other people present. Sol was off  
in the corner, slouched in the corner with his chin touching his chest  
and his hair falling over his eyes. He seemed asleep, but one could  
never be sure with the bounty hunter. Nearby the assassin known only  
as Venom crouched on the floor, too lost in thought to be bothered  
much. The case where he kept his pool cue was within arms reach, even  
though Johnny had made it specifically clear that there were to be no  
fights on his ship. Others from the "Gear Hunt" were on board the  
Mayship in one place or another, but Jam couldn't be bothered to keep  
track of them. After all, this was supposed to be a vacation for her,  
too.  
  
Still... this wasn't quite the party she thought it would be...  
  
_-Two days ago, in China-_  
  
This particular street corner was rife with activity. Most of it was  
caused by the construction crew that had been hard at work for the  
past few weeks, holding up traffic while trying desperately to keep up  
with their boss' demands as well as the demands of their borderline-  
psychotic client. Speaking of whom...  
  
Jam Kuradoberi stamped her foot in rage, kicking up loose dirt and  
sawdust. "What do you MEAN you're not done yet?!"  
  
The foreman eyed her as he rolled up the blueprints. "I mean, we're  
not done yet. There was a delay in the shipment of materials, and we  
can't finish your building until they come in."  
  
"And when will that be?"  
  
The foreman shrugged. "Dunno. A week, maybe."  
  
Not the answer she was looking for. "A WEEK?! I'm having a private  
opening ceremony for my restaurant TOMMORROW!"  
  
"You're just going to have to tell your guests to wait."  
  
"I can't tell these guests to 'wait'. They're busy people. Busy,  
picky, and very ARMED! How am I supposed to tell them they came all  
this way for nothing without getting killed?!"  
  
The foreman shrugged. "Dunno. Think of something. And get some more  
money ready, because we're going to have to charge overtime for this."  
With that, he turned away, leaving Jam to fume.  
  
Jam clenched her fists tightly, and a huge red aura appeared around  
her. If he thought he was going to get away like that, he was sadly  
mistaken. She dashed toward him in the blink of an eye, and he barely  
had time to turn around and scream before she was upon him. She  
screamed as she began a ferocious series of blows to the gut, chest,  
and face, "_TEN! SHO! TEN! GA! RUI! GA! ROKU! SO!_"  
  
She finished with a flying kick that would have made Bruce Lee  
jealous. The foreman landed some twenty feet away, badly beaten and  
with swirls instead of eyes. Some of his underlings snickered that he  
had been beaten by a girl half his size, but kept their tones muffled  
to avoid invoking her wrath. Jam landed from her kick gracefully,  
feeling worlds better but still a bit miffed. She huffed once more  
before turning back toward her restaurant. Right now, it had a good,  
solid foundation, a vague framework, and not much else. There was no  
way it would be ready before everyone got here. Her head sank. "So  
much for a grand opening..."  
  
She felt a tap on her shoulder just then, and whirled around. She  
smiled a little at the person who had quickly become a good friend.  
"Johnny!"  
  
Johnny was his usual stylish self, dressed in his distinctive black  
cloak and matching hat. His katana was absent, although she knew he  
could seemingly draw it from thin air if the need arose. Also as  
usual, the plucky May was at his side, grinning widely as she waved.  
The ten-year old had quite the crush on Johnny, and was usually never  
far from him if she could possibly avoid it.  
  
With them this time was the person responsible for her starting  
capital, if you could call her a person: Dizzy, the sentient Gear with  
a 500,000 World Dollar bounty on her head that Jam had readily accepted.  
She wore a large coat that she had tucked her wings and tail into, and  
glanced from side to side nervously. Guess she still hadn't become quite  
at ease around people. She couldn't really blame her for that, though.  
If the stories she heard were true, her experiences with humanity had been...  
less than pleasant.  
  
Johnny smiled as he looked past Jam at the restaurant. "I was just  
dropping by to see that the bounty was being put to good use... as you  
may know, I don't show up anywhere that doesn't live up to my  
standards."  
  
Jam shook her head. "It wouldn't be so bad, but the darn construction  
crew's incompetent. There's no way the restaurant's going to be  
finished in time for the opening party."  
  
Johnny scratched his chin thoughtfully. "That's funny... if I  
remember correctly, your invitation just mentioned a party, nothing  
about an opening..."  
  
Jam sighed, "That was supposed to be a surprise. It doesn't matter  
now, the party's off; we can't have a party if there's no place to  
hold it..."  
  
Johnny tipped his hat up as he explained, "Well, I know a little out-  
of-the-way place in the Pacific... an island paradise, I guess you  
could call it. Ordinarily, I'd keep something like that to myself,  
maybe to store loot for later or as a safe haven... but how could I do  
that when a cute thing like you needs help?"  
  
Jam shook her head. "An island in the middle of nowhere isn't going  
to do me any good. How am I supposed to get everyone there?"  
  
Johnny smirked knowingly. "You know, I DO have a ship I can lend you.  
It's been a while since there've been any men on board besides me...  
but I'm not going to let a little thing like construction ruin a good  
party."  
  
The young cook's jaw dropped. "Johnny... are you serious?"  
  
Johnny gave her a million dollar smirk. "Of course, my dear!  
Anything for-"  
  
"AHEM!" May reminded Johnny of her presence by elbowing him in the  
thigh. "I'm standing right here you know..."  
  
Johnny scrambled to recover, "I'm just being nice to a friend, May!  
Nothing to get upset about!" He never meant to lead the kid on, but  
her jealousy fits were dangerous in the extreme. Especially to him.  
"Um, as I was saying, it's for the good of the party! I know how  
difficult some of these people can be, but I'll help you get through  
it all."  
  
"Phew! You're really saving my life here... thanks a bunch!"  
  
Johnny rubbed the back of his head. "Don't mention it! Well, I'll be  
by tomorrow to help you make sure everything goes smoothly. And don't  
worry, I'll make sure everything goes smoothly." He then leaned close  
to her ear. He then whispered, "Just one favor though... could  
you..."  
  
May hovered just behind Johnny, eyes glowing red. "Yes, Johnny? What  
were you going to ask?"  
  
Johnny's teeth clenched in a false smile, suddenly wishing he'd left  
that little basinet in the desert where he found it. "I was just  
going to ask if she'd cook some good steak for us sometime. It's been ages  
since I've had some, you know..."  
  
"Oh... okay!" May smiled happily as she skipped away.  
  
Johnny scratched his nose as Jam asked, "Johnny... when you said it's  
been ages since you had any... you weren't talking about beef, were  
you?"  
  
Johnny pursed his lips together. "The kid always gets in the way at  
the worst possible times..."  
  
Jam patted Johnny on the back. "There there, pal. It's just a phase.  
She'll grow out of it, I'm sure. Well, I've got a whole lot of calls  
to make. Otherwise I'll wind up with a huge pile of food in front of  
this place that I can't use. See you tomorrow Johnny!"  
  
Johnny waved as Jam left, then looked back towards the ship. May was  
explaining the situation to Dizzy, who hung on her every word. Johnny  
shook his head as he snickered. "'Just a phase', huh? That's what I  
thought three years ago..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Dizzy had a problem. It wasn't that she was afraid of what was going  
to happen to her. Her past few weeks on the Mayship had somewhat  
eased her feelings of constant dread, and she was slowly becoming more  
accustomed to dealing with people. It wasn't that she was scared of  
the party; the way Johnny described it, it sounded sort of fun. The  
stuff May said about it, though, was a little confusing; why would  
anyone decide to sneak away from something so much fun for something  
called a "quickie"? And what on earth was a "jell-o shot"? But that  
wasn't really the problem, either.  
  
Her problem lay primarily with her guardians, Necro and Undine.  
Normally, they took the form of the black and white wings,  
respectively, on her back, but could assume a more human-like form if  
they felt the need to defend Dizzy. Without their cooperation, she  
could very easily see the party turning into a disaster; most of the  
guests had been their opponents recently, and suddenly seeing them all  
in the same place would make the two go absolutely ballistic unless  
she warned them first.  
  
Dizzy had started as she tried to several times before; by locking  
herself alone in her room aboard the Mayship, calmly explaining the  
situation, and asking for their cooperation. And this conversation  
was quickly heading in the same direction her earlier attempts had  
gone.  
  
Specifically, nowhere.  
  
[This is absolutely ridiculous,] Necro grumbled. [Tell me, why must  
we play nice with these humans, when just a short while ago they were  
trying to tear us to shreds?]  
  
~Because,~ Undine reasoned. ~Dizzy wants to see the world outside the  
grove, and the people that live there. And if we are to avoid being  
hunted, we have to be more reserved, and NOT just flatten everything  
that looks at her funny.~  
  
[Bah! You don't understand anything. Whether we play nice or not,  
people are going to come after her eventually. Besides, that does not  
rationalize dealing with such obviously dangerous people!]  
  
"Um..."  
  
~They came after her because they feared what she might do. Now that  
they know she means no harm, they have no reason to fight her. Not  
unless a certain hothead GIVES them a reason...~ She looked at her  
fellow guardian disdainfully, as one might glare at a dog that growls  
too much.  
  
[Don't go getting all high and mighty on me, princess. You've started  
at least as many fights as I have.]  
  
~I started ONE. And that was because that shadow guy was giving me  
the creeps.~  
  
"Could you..."  
  
Necro crossed his arms disapprovingly. [You're forgetting about all  
the times you took a swing at Johnny.]  
  
~He won't stop staring at my chest! Besides, you should be the LAST  
person to talk about unprovoked attacks! After all, back when we  
lived in the village, I wasn't the one that almost destroyed a whole  
block trying to kill a poor, defenseless...~  
  
[THAT DAMN CAT BIT ME! He was not defenseless!]  
  
"Please, stop!" Dizzy yelled out. Necro and Undine both looked toward  
her, then toward each other. Dizzy took a deep breath as she tried  
explaining, "Listen... this is important to me. I just want to get  
along with everyone... so, please, try to be lenient."  
  
After a long pause, Necro finally sighed loudly. [Fine, fine. You  
win... but if any of them even BREATHE on you wrong, I'll beat them  
all within an inch of their miserable, worthless lives.] He then  
morphed back into wing form to mope silently.  
  
Undine patted Dizzy on the shoulder. ~There there, that's just how he  
shows he cares. I'm sure nothing bad is going to happen... regardless  
of how tactless CERTAIN people can be.~  
  
[I heard that, woman!], Necro bellowed quickly without reverting to  
human form. Undine stuck her tongue out at the black wing and  
silently pledged to ignore him for the rest of the day.  
  
~Anyway, I'll be sure to be on my best behavior... but I won't  
hesitate to come out if things don't go smoothly. I don't want you  
getting hurt.~  
  
Dizzy nodded, smiling with relief. "Thank you Undine. And you too,  
Necro, thank you."  
  
~You're welcome!~  
  
[Yeah, yeah.]  
  
With that, Undine, too, reverted back into a white wing. Necro and  
Undine could be dangerously protective, but they were willing to bend  
a little for Dizzy's sake. With that done, she had only to enjoy  
herself.  
  
Tomorrow... it would all begin tomorrow...  
  
---------------------------------------------  
Notes: I don't expect a huge, grand plot to come out of this... I just  
want to have some fun with all the characters interacting with each  
other. Nothing wrong with that, right?  
  
I plan to include both some character development parts and some  
other parts that are meant solely for humor. Of course, I do  
have some pretty nifty action sequences planned for later...  
  
Well, a few notes:  
  
The kraken: The world of Guilty Gear has all kinds of things from  
fantasy running about... dragons flying the skies, magic weapons, etc.  
Why not a titanic sea beast, as well? And if there aren't any krakens  
in the Guilty Gear world... well, Faust is a bit nuts anyway.  
  
Undine and Necro: In case you can't tell, I borrowed some of the  
characterization of these two from Kaiser Ryouga's fic. If you  
haven't read it yet, DO SO. Now. After, of course, leaving a review!  
  
Next chapter: The whole gang meets up! Tempers flare! Sparks fly!  
And the guests get a little surprise...  



	2. Part 2 : Roll Call!

Author's Notes: Now I'm confused. I've always thought May was between  
ten and twelve. I have received reports from more than one person on  
the GameFAQS message boards that she is 17. The thing is... look at  
her. Really, LOOK AT HER! She has no chest! I'm not being perverted  
here, but every anime-drawn character always has a definable chest.  
Even Lina Inverse had bigger breasts than May, and she's supposed to  
be diminutive! I'm talking official art, now... most fan artists draw  
these huge things on May bigger than her head, but I digress. My  
point is, I took another look at the game and decided she's a bit tall  
to be ten... I decided to look for a definitive source to get her  
actual age, and you know what? I haven't found anything yet.  
  
So my question to all of you readers is: how old is May? I don't care  
whether its your opinion or an actual source, but please say which it  
is!  
  
On to more important info: I don't think this chapter's as funny as the  
last one, but this chapter is more to introudce everyone. I got so  
desperate to finish this chapter that I had to skimp a lot on transitory  
paragraphs... gah, I hope I never have to introduce 12 characters in one  
chapter ever again...  
  
Disclaimer: Despite my best efforts, I still do not own Guilty Gear.  
Otherwise, I'd have Sol as my personal bodyguard. They are owned by  
Arc Systems. All questions/comments/death threats can be sent to me  
at thearchimage@fanfiction.net. Please do not sue me, I have no  
money.  
  
WARNING! The following contains a few slight spoilers for GGX2. As a  
matter of fact, the rest of this fic will probably give away a few  
things about it as well. You have been warned.  
  
A Little Bit of Innocence  
A waste of good bandwidth by: TheArchimage  
  
Part 2: Roll Call!  
-----------------------------  
  
-The next day-  
  
Jam had set up a cheap wooden booth in front of her restaurant, the  
best she could do on such short notice and with such limited  
materials. It was little more than a desk with a sign hung above it,  
the sign reading "Welcome Honored Guests!"  
  
One of the first to arrive was Potemkin. He was not wearing his large  
Zepp slave collar, but instead had on sunglasses and a bright Hawaiian  
shirt. "Ain't you a big fella?" Jam asked. "Whatever you're eating,  
you're sure doing something right!"  
  
Potemkin lowered his head a bit. "Thank you, madam. I just returned  
from an operation in the mid-Atlantic, when President Gabriel ordered  
me to take a short leave of absence. He believes it would be best to  
let me recuperate, although my abilities have not been taxed for some  
time."  
  
"Well, good timing then! Glad to have you aboard!" Potemkin gave  
jam a military salute, which looked nothing short of hysterical once  
you considered he was wearing neon yellow. He then walked off to stand  
with Millia, and Jam had to do a double-take. "Millia? When did you get  
here?"  
  
"Just now," she replied, then sharply turned away from her to signal the  
conversation had ended. Jam marked both their names down, making a  
mental note to help that girl brush up on her conversation skills.  
  
Almost right behind Potemkin was another man. He was wearing a  
uniform that would have been quite common during the Crusades, but  
these days was an increasing rarity: the robes of the Holy Order of  
Sacred Knights. His short blonde hair was pushed about slightly by  
the wind, and the legendary sword Thunderseal was carried in his right  
hand. "Shoot, it's the cop," Johnny said as he rubbed the back of his  
head. "How should I explain this...?"  
  
Ky shook his head. "You may relax. I am not here on official  
business, and I lack the manpower to arrest you without support. I  
merely came at Miss Jam's request."  
  
"For ME?! Oh, Ky, you're so... cute!" With this Jam leapt over the  
table, hugging Ky tightly. Ky clenched his teeth and started glowing  
red. "Aw, he's blushing! Just like when we fought before... you  
remember that, right? You were so stunned by my beauty that you let  
me win!"  
  
Ky loosened his collar slightly, suddenly feeling quite hot. It was  
true that he was stunned at that time, but it wasn't completely  
because of her beauty. 'That skirt of hers is far too short...' he  
admonished silently. '...and she kicks far too high. How was I  
supposed to fight if I could not even look at her?'  
  
May giggled, "Come on, Ky, you're not fooling anyone. You came here  
to see your TRUE love!" Ky's face showed complete confusion. May  
spelled out one letter at a time, "S-O-L!"  
  
Ky grimaced, and he visibly shuddered. "I would sooner break my  
entire collection into pieces," he vowed through clenched teeth, his  
patience destroyed utterly by the mere mention of a thought so vile.  
"That is a horrible, vicious, disgusting rumor. Never speak of it  
again."  
  
May was about to say something more, but Jam cut her off. "He's  
right, you know," Jam added. "You really shouldn't spread rumors like  
that. Who knows what Sol would do if he heard that? Besides, we all  
know Ky is just saving himself for the right woman..." With this, Jam  
pressed her body closer to the knight, grinning suggestively.  
  
Ky noticed that her... assets were starting to spill out of her dress.  
He swiftly averted his eyes and coughed. "I doubt he will come,  
anyway. He has always been anti-social, and would see little point in  
a gathering like this."  
  
No sooner had he said that when April perked up. "Hey, look! It's  
that guy with the flaming sword! Huh? How'd Ky get over there?"  
  
Jam blinked, then looked downward toward her now-empty arms. She  
gasped and grabbed at the air a few times with the hand that mere  
seconds ago was wrapped around Ky. "Hey! How the heck did he...?"  
  
Ky approached his rival with the air of an executioner. He stared  
straight at Sol as he spat, "I've been waiting for you."  
  
Sol gave him a sardonic smirk. "I'll bet you have. What about it?"  
  
"I believe we have unfinished business between us..."  
  
"Maybe we do," Sol shrugged. "But I'm not in the mood. I'm here for  
a party, not a fight. You need to loosen up a bit too, boy. Or at the  
very least, try to remember how." With that, Sol flicked his nearly  
spent cigarette into a nearby wastebin and walked straight past the young  
knight.  
  
Ky fumed a bit, but kept his anger in check as Sol walked past him.  
It would be extremely rude of him to start a fight in front of so many  
people during what was supposed to be a friendly occasion. He'd just  
have to bite his tongue and deal with this the best he could.  
  
Sol stopped suddenly, sensing something not altogether human. He  
gripped the Fireseal tighter as he scanned the crowd, but allowed it  
to loosen again when he realized where it was coming from. The person  
noticed Sol, and nervously walked up to him. Sol's eyes narrowed,  
although he was no longer looking in her direction. Some people...  
  
"Um... Mr. Badguy?" Dizzy asked cautiously.  
  
His eye slowly slid in it's socket to glare at the young Gear who had  
uttered it. She fidgeted slightly, clearly both nervous and frightened.  
'Her again,' he thought as he caught sight of the winged half-Gear.   
'How the hell did she get here? And how did she ditch that moron?'  
  
"Hey," Sol greeted simply, turning toward her. Dizzy made a tiny "Eep!"  
as he did so. Sol shook his head. "Relax. I ain't starting any  
fights today."  
  
Dizzy swallowed hard and responded, "I... I see. I'm sorry... it's  
just that, after last time, I thought you would attack me again..."  
  
"A few hard feelings, then? I ain't surprised."  
  
Dizzy put on a strained smile as she shook her head, nervously  
wringing her tail. "Nope... no hard feelings at all..."  
  
Sol thought he saw something going on behind Dizzy, and leaned to the  
side a bit to see. Necro was practically frothing at the mouth, one  
of his hands holding a large battle-axe and the other glowing with  
energy. If it weren't for Undine holding him back by the shoulders,  
he would doubtlessly be trying to tear Sol limb from limb. '"Trying"  
being the operative word,' Sol thought smugly.  
  
Dizzy felt a drop of sweat form on her forehead from both the exertion  
of trying to keep Necro under control and from the embarrassment this  
situation was causing her. Sol gestured with his head, and said with  
more amusement than worry, "He looks a bit pissed."  
  
Dizzy shook her head. "I...it's okay. He's just a little on edge...  
Necro!" she turned to face her wing suddenly, which stopped struggling  
and shrunk a little from her gaze. "Such language!"  
  
Sol shrugged. "Guess I'd better give the little bastard some time to  
cool off. I'll see you around." He walked away, waving nonchalantly  
over his shoulder as Dizzy watched him head off to the side of the  
gathering.  
  
"See, Necro?" she said. "He's not really a bad person... today is a  
holiday, so why don't we all relax a little bit?" Necro looked from  
Dizzy to Sol, then back again before reverting to a black wing. Dizzy  
smiled. "That's better." Undine gave a serene smile as she became a  
white wing again. "If it's just for a little while, we can all be  
friends..." she said hopefully.  
  
Sol sat on the curb, laying his Fireseal down by his side. He looked  
out among the rest of the mingling guests. It wasn't like he needed  
friends or anything... when you lived 150 years, you got pretty good  
at keeping yourself amused. Yes... his life was much like that  
solitary raven sitting on the fence, cawing solely to amuse itself  
rather than respect the wishes of those who'd rather see it shut up.  
He did what he wanted, and anybody who didn't like it could piss off.  
  
Wait a minute... raven?  
  
Sol lowered his head. "You son of a bitch," he sighed to no one that  
could be seen. "Do you always have to get in my way wherever I go?"  
  
Seemingly melting from the shadows, Testament appeared behind him. "I  
am surprised you did not sense me earlier. I could have slit your  
throat a hundred times since you arrived. Only the smile on her face,  
and the knowledge that doing so would destroy it, stayed my hand."  
  
Sol raised an eyebrow. "Don't be so dramatic. It's a party, not a  
damn poetry reading. Hey, waitress," he called out suddenly. "We got  
a party crasher."  
  
Jam frowned. "I have a name, you know! But... oh, Testament! How  
are you doing?"  
  
Testament's eyebrow twitched. "We may have parted without bloodshed,  
but do not think I am your friend, human. Your kind is-"  
  
"Testament!" Dizzy shouted, running up to him. "It's been so long!  
Are you here for the party too? I didn't know you were invited..."  
  
Testament coughed into his fist as he confessed, "I wasn't."  
  
Dizzy blinked. "Oh. Well, why don't you join us now? I mean, you  
came all this way..."  
  
Testament considered her briefly. "... Very well. Waitress, I shall  
join your little party if that is what Dizzy wishes."  
  
Jam sighed. "The plans are a bit tight, you know. It might be tough  
to squeeze you in at such a late time..."  
  
Testament eyed her. "I'm not asking, I'm telling. Deal with it."  
  
Dizzy playfully hit Testament on the shoulder. "Now now, Testament,  
you don't have to be unfriendly. I know you met Johnny already, but  
I've made lots of friends on the ship in the past few weeks... come  
on!" And with that the winged girl dragged Testament deep into the  
crowd.  
  
As Jam warily added Testament's name to the guest list, the area  
around her suddenly darkened. Confused, she glanced upward. She then  
dropped her head back down and sighed, burying her face in her hands.  
"I should have known..."  
  
Mere feet from where she was standing, the doctor known only as Faust  
made his landing. For most other people, this would mean their  
helicopter or airplane. But Faust chose a wildly different mode of  
transportation; an umbrella. He floated to the ground as gently as a  
leaf, singing a little tune to himself:  
  
"_Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!  
Even though the sound of it  
Is something quite atrocious,  
If you say it loud enough  
You'll always sound precocious!  
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!_"  
  
Faust folded up his umbrella and slung it over his shoulder. "Ah,  
Miss Jam. It's so nice to you again. I have been hoping to have some  
of your lovely cuisine once more."  
  
Jam sighed. "Hello to you as well, Doctor. And thank you for the  
compliment."  
  
"Hm?" Faust said as he inspected Jam's booth. "This style of booth  
reminds me of something..."  
  
Jam frowned. "What do you mean...?"  
  
With that, Faust reached into his pocket and pulled out a nickel. He  
tossed it into the booth and said, "I've got a problem. You see,  
there's this little red-haired girl I like, and-"  
  
"What do I look like, a matchmaker? I'm having enough trouble in that  
area myself..." She glanced in Ky's direction at this remark. Her  
eye twitched when she realized he was talking with Millia. Maybe  
her conversation skills were just fine after all. 'Mitts off, you  
hussy,' she attempted to telepathically warn Millia. 'He's mine! I  
saw him first!'  
  
"Well!" Faust huffed in mock offense. "I shall have to take my 5  
cents elsewhere." Faust picked his nickel back up, and stuffed it in  
his pocket. His single eye blinked as he looked up. "Um... Miss Jam?  
I think you have a problem..."  
  
Her ears perked up. "Problem?"  
  
Faust nodded. "Yes yes... what happens when you put a cobra and a mongoose  
in the same room?"  
  
Jam frowned. "I don't quite get what you-"  
  
A new voice, smooth and medium-toned interupted, "Is this the registration  
booth?"  
  
Jam turned to face the newcomer, and was not disappointed. "Ooh! Aren't  
you handsome!" Jam said smiling. The man in front of her had his long white  
hair pulled back, revealing his well-cut features. His face held an almost  
feminine beauty that Jam knew she'd never seen before. Well, he didn't have  
to know that... she could squeeze one more hottie onto the guest list. "Yes  
sir, right away sir. Can I have your name?"  
  
"Venom."  
  
Jam blinked. "No way!" In response, Venom flipped his hair down in  
front of his face, showing the unmistakable blue eye painted onto his  
hair. Jam stared and complimented, "Wow, I never knew you looked so  
great under all that hair... you should wear it up like that more often!"  
  
Venom turned toward her, his expression now unreadable due to the large  
amount of hair blocking the view. However, his tone of voice seemed  
genuinely intrigued as he asked, "Do you think so?"  
  
Jam nodded. "Oh, yes! Why, with a face like yours..."  
  
"You're wasting time," Millia deadpanned. "He doesn't swing your way, if  
you know what I mean..."  
  
Faust opened his umbrella up and positioned it in front of him like a  
shield. "Uh oh, here we go..."  
  
Venom turned toward Millia and grumbled, "They just invite anyone  
these days, don't they? I wouldn't have come if I knew this harpy was  
going to be here..."  
  
Millia sighed and looked away. "Zato is dead, good riddance. Get over  
it already."  
  
"Do not waste your good fortune, woman. You will pay for your crimes,  
someday soon. Mark my words." Venom then walked off into the crowd,  
the two parting for the first time in a long time without causing  
property damage.   
  
Jam breathed a sigh of relief. "Too close!"  
  
Two figures came walking toward the group, both in traditional (and  
exceedingly rare) Japanese garb. In front was Anji Mito. He was in  
his familiar blue outfit, well-defined chest bared and swaying to and  
fro like he had not a care in the world. Slightly behind him, dressed  
in her usual white kimono, was Baiken. Her sword still hung at her  
side, and her hair covered the left side of her face nicely.  
  
"Hey, you two, you made it!" Jam waved. "I thought they didn't let  
Japanese out of the colonies these days..."  
  
"I'm not registered," Baiken answered bluntly, though for a Japanese  
the statement was a confession to breaking international law. "It gets  
in the way of more important things."  
  
"And I snuck out," Anji declared proudly. "Really, it's just too  
stuffy and boring in the reservations. A man can't see what the world  
has to offer being cooped up in there, right?" He punctuated his  
statement with a mirthful laugh.  
  
Baiken eyed her traveling companion the same way one might eye a  
chatty bird at six-thirty in the morning. She fingered her sword as  
she warned, "Someone shut him up, or I will. I've had to deal with  
this guy since six miles ago."  
  
Anji scratched his head nervously. "Now now, no need to be so violent..."  
  
Baiken sulked. "Plenty of need. I've got a loud-mouthed braggart AND  
an annoying twerp following me around..."  
  
At that a portion of the road popped up, revealing Chipp Zanuff under it.  
His sudden appearance happened to be directly under the spot Anji was  
standing, and sent him toppling to the ground. "Damn!" Chipp said, looking  
at Baiken in amazement. "How long have you known I was there?"  
  
Baiken sighed. "Almost since the beginning. Your skills need work, 'ninja';  
I could hear you from a mile away."  
  
Anji sat upand asked Baiken, "Um... when you said 'loud-mouthed braggart'  
and 'irritating twerp'... which one of those am I?"  
  
Baiken seethed, "Does it really matter?"  
  
Jam made a few last checks on her list, then looked it over one last  
time. She winced a bit as she crossed Zato's name off the list,  
thinking, 'This is a bit out of date...' She tapped her pencil a  
few times next to the only name that had not yet been marked.  
"Hmmm... that's funny, I thought Axl would be one of the first ones  
here..."  
  
Millia stepped forward. "...We met each other on the way here... but  
he vanished."  
  
Jam raised an eyebrow. "Vanished?"  
  
Millia nodded. "I looked away from him for a moment, heard him  
scream, and then he was gone."  
  
Sol overheard this conversation, and his eyebrow twitched. 'After all  
the begging he did to get me to come, he doesn't even show. That  
twit had better have a good excuse...'  
  
"Really... hm. All right!" Jam said slamming her guestbook shut. "In  
that case, I guess everyone's here that's going to be. If I can have  
everyone's attention," she shouted out. "The party's location was  
originally supposed to be my new restaurant... but as you can see, you  
just can't get good help nowadays. So, we'll have a slight change of  
scenery... a Pacific island, airway provided by the Captain of the  
Jellyfish Pirates himself, Johnny! He volunteered his lovely Mayship  
to book us passage, so everyone give him a big hand!"  
  
There was a short outcry of surprise, followed by a round of applause.  
Grinning widely, the aforementioned pirate stood up. It was his turn  
to shine. "Yes, thank you everyone. It's the very least a wonderful  
man like me can do for all of you. I should point out that my ship is  
NOT your playground, and fighting on board won't be tolerated. I will  
charge you for any damage you do to it, and those who can't pay...  
well, let's just say 20,000 feet is a LOOOOONG way to fall..."  
  
After a few nervous chuckles, Johnny continued, "Well, the lifeboat is  
this way... if you'll all follow me, we'll get this trip started!"  
  
  
Miscellaneous Notes:  
May's comment: I'm not a fan of the Sol/Ky pairing. Can'tcha tell?  
  
Faust: An obvious joke, perhaps, but a good one nonetheless. And yes,  
the word "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", nonsense though it may  
be, is spelled correctly here. This might be a good time to add it to  
your spell-checker dictionary.  
  
The booth: Yes, Faust is making a Charlie Brown joke. The only reason  
Jam doesn't spot it is because Charlie Brown wouldn't be common  
knowledge in 2170, don't you think?  
  
Characters that will be showing up later: Axl, Slayer, Eddie, Bridget,  
Zappa, I-No. Not necessarily in that order, but pretty much whenever  
it would be most amusing.  



	3. Part 3 : Jellyfish Air & Resort

Author's Notes: Is it just me, or is this chapter really long? Ah well,  
I don't think you guys would complain if it was. ^_^ Anyway, sorry  
it took so long to get this chapter out, but between school and my other  
three or four fics... I'm sure you all understand. At least I hope you  
do.  
  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Guilty Gear. If I did, I would let Dizzy have  
a friggin' Instant Kill already. Unfortunately, it is currently owned by  
Sammy and by Arc Systems. Please do not sue me, I have no money.  
  
A Little Bit of Innocence  
A waste of good bandwidth by: TheArchimage  
  
Part 3: Jellyfish Air and Resort  
------------------------------  
  
  
The fighters had lined up single file, a miracle in itself, and walked  
up to April one by one. April held a clipboard in one hand and shouted,  
"Alright, everyone, everyone stay calm. We will be taking off shortly,  
but I need to take down the information for every passenger. We  
apologize for this inconvenience, but please stay patient and we will  
finish as soon as possible. We'll start with... you. Name?"  
  
Sol glared at her, clearly not amused by her cheerful tone. "Sol  
Badguy."  
  
"Age?"  
  
Without pause or flair, Sol answered, "155."  
  
April gave him a dour stare. "Your REAL age?"  
  
Sol sneered a bit and fudged, "28."  
  
"Nationality?"  
  
"American."  
  
"And where are you headed?"  
  
"How the hell should I know, you're the ones steering the damn ship."  
  
"Right! Well, um, enjoy your flight! Yikes..."  
  
Sol walked straight past her, and onto the ship, shaking his head. He  
sighed, "God damn red tape."  
  
"Alright, next up. Name?"  
  
"Chipp Zanuff."  
  
"Age?"  
  
"23."  
  
"Nationality?"  
  
"Japanese!" he declared proudly.  
  
April slowly looked him over. After a moment's thought she declared,  
"You are NOT Japanese."  
  
"Bullshit! I am so Japanese! Maybe I was born in America, but my  
homeland is Japan! It is the birthplace of my spirit, and my true  
home!"  
  
"... American. There you go, enjoy your flight." April waved him  
through, and murmured, "Fruitcake… Come on, people, hurry up, we don't  
got all day. Name?"  
  
Faust replied, "Wizpig."  
  
April blinked. "Age?"  
  
Faust looked at his watch. "37 years, 4 months, 2 weeks, 4 days, 17  
hours, 43 minutes, and 20 seconds riiiiiiight.... now."  
  
"Nationality?"  
  
"I come from the land of Honna-Lee."  
  
April lowered her clipboard to look him straight in the... er,  
eyehole. "How long have you been waiting to say all that?" Faust  
started to look at his watch again, but April stopped him, "No,  
never mind, just get on board. Yeesh, another nut... name?"  
  
"Potemkin."  
  
"Age?"  
  
Without the slightest pause, he answered, "That's classified  
information."  
  
April narrowed her eyes. "...Nationality?"  
  
Again, he instantly responded, "That's classified information."  
  
"Occupation?"  
  
"Classified."  
  
"Birth sign?"  
  
"Classified."  
  
"Blood type?"  
  
"That's classified too."  
  
"Birthday?"  
  
"Top secret."  
  
"Height?"  
  
"Can't tell you."  
  
"Weight?"  
  
"Mum's the word."  
  
April felt a vein begin to form on her forehead. "SHOE SIZE?!"  
  
Potemkin thought for a moment, then replied, "I'd tell you... but  
then I'd have to kill you."  
  
April tossed the clipboard over her shoulder and threw up her hands.  
"THAT'S IT! I give up! All of you, just get on the damn ship. I  
don't care anymore. Just GO!"  
  
Everyone streamed into the ship, but Dizzy and May stepped out of  
line to pat April on the shoulders. Dizzy encouraged, "There there,  
April... you did your best..."  
  
*****  
  
"Hey, wench!"  
  
The voice snapped Jam out of her flashback. She glared hatefully at  
the man it belonged to, warning, "Call me that again and I spit  
in your food."  
  
Chipp shrugged. "Whatever. Listen, how much longer is this gonna  
take? We've been on this plane forever."  
  
Jam sighed. "The captain knows where he's going. Just sit down and  
enjoy the ride."  
  
At that moment, an incredulous shout came from the bridge. "What?!  
I thought YOU had the map!" Jam and Chipp stared at the door for a  
moment.  
  
Jam laughed nervously and said, "Um... we'll get there eventually.  
Just stay calm."  
  
"No way! I'm getting bored. I need something to do!"  
  
Jam sighed as she got up out of the seat. "Hold on a second, I'll  
get the captain." She walked over to the door to the bridge, and  
knocked on it.  
  
From inside came Johnny's panicked voice, "Of COURSE that's not  
supposed to be on fire! Grab the extinguisher and put it out! Uh,  
gimme a sec..." Johnny opened the door just enough to peek his head  
out. This actually meant he had to open the entire door in order to  
avoid knocking his hat off, and gray smoke started wafting from out  
of the open door. "Ah, hello Jam. I'd love to help you out and   
initiate you into the Mile-High club, but I'm a bit tied up right now..."  
  
Jam playfully flicked his nose. "That's not what I'm here for,  
smartass. The passengers are getting restless, and they need something  
to do."  
  
"So throw a movie up. We have an old projector lying somewhere around  
here."  
  
"But what movie should I...?"  
  
"Can't talk right now Jam, I have an issue of... um, only minor  
importance. So, if you'll excuse me..." He was just about to close  
the door when he stopped, opened it again, and smiled widely. "Just  
remember, we have everything under control..."  
  
From within the room came a young girl's voice, "Captain Johnny? 'E'  
means 'enough', right?"  
  
"Oh, for the love of...!" Johnny quickly slammed the door shut.  
  
Jam sighed. "Well, guess this has become a movie flight..."  
  
*****  
  
Although sparsely furbished, the movie room of the Mayship was just  
the right size to seat everyone. The seats were placed on a downward  
incline, so that everyone could see over the heads of people in  
front of them. A minor argument took place when Faust insisted on  
sitting in the front row, but he was eventually convinced that an  
eight-foot tall man in the front row made it difficult for the people  
in back of him.  
  
Jam, for her part, was trying to figure out which movie would be  
best. The movies were stored on old VHS tapes, and were clearly  
showing their age. "Shoot, I don't know any of these... all these  
movies must be hundreds of years old! Where'd he pick up relics like  
these?"  
  
May decided to help her out a bit. "Well, um... oh, this one's one of  
Dizzy's favorites!" Jam immediately tossed that one over her  
shoulder. "Ooookay, not in the mood for cartoons I guess... um,  
that's one of our training videos..." This one joined May's previous  
suggestion. "And... OH." May grabbed one of the tapes like it was  
drenched in urine, and dropped it off to the side. "I don't know how  
that got in there, but that's from Johnny's collection..."  
  
"Dammit, I'll just put in one at random!" Jam closed her eyes as she  
picked a tape and shoved it into the VCR. The screen began to light  
up, and the picture started coming into focus.  
  
"Uh oh..." May said. She grabbed a box of tissues from the back and  
handed them to Dizzy.  
  
Dizzy stared blankly at them. "Um, May? What are...?"  
  
"They're to wipe your eyes with," she explained. "I think you'll need  
them. And with that, I'm outta here..."  
  
Jam blinked as she took her own seat. "Why? Something wrong with  
this movie?"  
  
"No, it's a good movie. It's just... well, I don't like to watch  
movies I've seen before."  
  
"Oh... okay. And May! Think about my proposal, okay!" May nodded  
non-commitedly as she left the room. Jam settled in and watched as  
the title of the movie came up...  
  
"Old Yeller".  
  
*****  
  
May strolled onto the bridge. Johnny was busy manning the steering  
wheel, making tiny corrections to account for air currents. Several  
blackened char marks stained the walls and floor, and depleted fire  
extinguisher cans littered the floor. Probably training one of the  
younger girls, she thought. Well, it didn't look like anyone was  
around now...  
  
"Johnny..." she cooed.  
  
Johnny eyed the young pirate warily. "You're not going to do the  
'Are we there yet?' thing, are you?"  
  
May shook her head. "No. Actually, I was hoping I could talk to you  
seriously a moment... you see, the crew..."  
  
Johnny sighed. He had expected something like this. "The crew will  
just have to accept other men on board the ship. I know that I alone  
am enough for any woman, but they still must acknowledge that-"  
  
May shook her head. "No no no, you don't understand, they-"  
  
Johnny released the steering wheel, already caught up in his own  
rant. "... There are other men in the world besides me, and that  
they aren't all perfect like me. I know how difficult it must be,  
getting a false impression of men because of my shining example..."  
  
May glanced out the window, knowing full well where this rant was  
heading. She loved him, but damn he could get caught up in himself  
sometimes. Her eye caught something glimmering in the sky, causing  
her to swallow reflexively. She pointed out the front window at the  
large jet plane heading towards them as she tried to get Johnny's  
attention. "Uh, Johnny..."  
  
Johnny continued obliviously, "Well, I guess it must be like that  
old saying says... 'Once you have filet mignon, you can't go back  
to pork'..."  
  
The jet plane was now much closer, and looked as if they were  
rapidly coming towards a head-on collision. May pulled at his coat  
as she pleaded, "Johnny!"  
  
"What a heartbreaker I am... Spoiling these young girls with my  
presence, knowing full well that no one else in the world can ever  
compare with me..."  
  
"JOHNNY!" May shouted as she turned the wheel hard. The entire ship  
rocked to the side, barely missing impact with the jet. May then  
righted the ship as best she could, and collapsed over the steering  
wheel in exhaustion.  
  
And throughout all this, Johnny hadn't stopped his one-sided  
conversation. "-can't be helped. Such is the price one must pay for  
looking this good. Anyway, just give the girls a little time. I'm  
sure they'll be able to deal with it... May? Are you all right?"  
  
May gave a weak smile as she held her thumb and forefinger in the  
"A-okay!" sign. She wearily gasped, "Just fine, Johnny... everything's  
just dandy..."  
  
"Glad to hear it. Well, I'd better get back to steering the ship  
before anything bad happens... and just give the girls a little  
time. They'll get used to it."  
  
May shook her head. "No, you don't get it. Jam..."  
  
"What about Jam?"  
  
"She just hired a bunch of the crew members as waitresses for when  
we land. She was trying to hire me, too, but..."  
  
Johnny clenched his fist tightly. "Damn woman! She knows full well  
that, as their captain and legal... okay, IL-legal guardian, I have  
to look over any contract they sign, and I'm entitled to a percentage  
of what they earn. She's trying to cut me out of my own profit. Well,  
I can't stand for that!"  
  
"Johnny," May giggled. "You know, if you hire out the services of  
girls, that makes you a pimp..."  
  
Johnny's eyebrow twitched noticeably. "May! You and I both know that  
is not the case. I am like a father to these girls, after all..."  
  
May looked up to him. "And what am I to you...?"  
  
Johnny swallowed. How was he to answer this question without getting  
pounded into oblivion? "You are... um... a very... special person..."  
Important sounding, but completely vague. Perfect!  
  
May beamed as she hugged him tightly. "Oh, Johnny! Thank you!"  
  
"Um, you're welcome. But right now, I have to have a long talk with  
a certain chef..."  
  
*****  
  
The movie came to an end, and the lights came back on. The audience  
started to file out, chatting lightly amongst themselves.  
  
Dizzy hadn't moved from her seat. She wiped her eyes, crying  
uncontrollably. "Oh, that was such a sad movie..."  
  
Right next to her, Potemkin sniffed deeply. "Yeah..." he agreed before  
blowing his nose.  
  
*****  
  
The Mayship was high in the air, rapidly heading towards its  
destination. Testament stood on the deck of the ship, looking down  
at the world passing by below. His raven stood on his shoulder, looking  
alternatively from her master's face to the ground below. The raven  
raised her head as someone approached.  
  
Anji raised a hand in greeting. "Yo!" Testament didn't bother  
returning the greeting. Anji walked up to him, intending to start a  
conversation anyway. "Feeling airsick?"  
  
A scowl marked Testament's features as he eyed the human. In truth,  
he had not felt better in some time. Dizzy had given him a warm meal,  
and told him it was her first time making it. Although he did not  
often succumb to human trivialities like food, he had enjoyed it  
thoroughly. He did not want to ruin his good mood by conversing with  
this piece of human trash. "I do not get airsick, human. We are made  
much stronger than you."  
  
"Is that how it is?" Anji laughed. "Well, it would be foolish to  
assume humans were the strongest beings on the planet, wouldn't it?  
After all, they would not be so self-conscious if they were. As it is,  
they constantly talk about the things that are wrong, and never what  
is right. They pick apart the weaknesses of things, of situations,  
and of each other. Because of that, if a problem exists, they hide it  
without actually fixing it. They are concerned with the image that  
everything is fine, regardless of whether it actually is. If humans  
were truly a strong race, we would not be so critical of weakness,  
right?"  
  
Testament's eyebrow twitched slightly. "...What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well, this is my first time on an airship. I feel a little bit sick,  
but if I let that slow me down I won't be able to enjoy the  
experience. You know, the wind in your hair, the look of the land  
below... so I came up here for some fresh air."  
  
"You don't ever shut up, do you?"  
  
"I talk because I'm alive!" Anji replied. "Perhaps it doesn't endear  
me to nee-chan at all, but speaking is the mark of an intelligent  
species! Consider: a member of any species must continually ask  
himself questions to gain a better understanding of his surroundings.  
As more of these questions are answered, he..."  
  
Testament twitched, feeling a knot form in his stomach. What? Was this  
human's blathering... making him ill?  
  
"... gains a better understanding of himself and the world around  
him. Of course, with this understanding comes the realization that he  
does not know nearly as much as he thought he did. So he is forced to  
ask more questions, and must seek twice as hard to find the answers  
to these new questions, thus..."  
  
Testament screwed up his face and clutched his stomach. The meal that  
Dizzy worked so hard to make was threatening to climb back up his  
throat, and he had to fight to keep it down. He couldn't believe it...  
this idiot had made him sick!  
  
"... beginning the entire process over again. Eventually, he reaches  
a point where he can no longer find the answers to his questions with  
his own experiences. And, of course, there is a limit to how much one  
person can learn with the limited time they are given on this earth.  
But speaking allows us to communicate our ideas and experiences with  
each other, theoretically allowing our knowledge to extend  
limitlessly. Instead of each member of the species seeking knowledge  
by themselves, the entire race can seek true understanding together!  
So you see, speaking..."  
  
"Excuse me," Testament ran to the opposite side of the ship, covering  
his mouth with his hand. He leaned over the railing and made several  
retching sounds, to which Anji could only scratch his head guiltily.  
  
"Poor chap... guess he's not the philosophical type." Anji walked over  
and picked up the tray that laid on the ground. "Ah, a meal lovingly  
prepared by Dizzy, is it? That man is one lucky... hm?" He picked up  
the carton of milk on the tray, and inspected it carefully. "This  
expired quite some time ago... you're gonna get a stomachache if you  
drink this..."  
  
*****  
  
Johnny looked down at the island from the bridge. The island was fairly  
small, and mostly covered in semi-dense forests. Still, there was a  
sizable, and very scenic, beach at the west side of the island. The  
west side was mostly dominated by large cliffs that overlooked the  
ocean. "Well, here we are," Johnny said. "It doesn't look like much,  
but hopefully..." That's precisely when something on the north end of  
the island caught his eye. He squinted, though it couldn't be seen  
behind his dark glasses. "Hmmm... looks like I missed something on  
my initial fly-by..."  
  
"Johnny," May asked, peeking out the window. "What is it?"  
  
"There's a huge house on the north end of the island... and it looks  
pretty new. We should probably check it out... Engines! We're gonna  
make a landing here and check out what's going on."  
  
"Looks like..." May's eyes widened. "Johnny, that's a mansion! Whoever  
lives there must be loaded!"  
  
Johnny smirked. "I know. Maybe we can use it... or convince whoever  
lives there to let us borrow a few rooms..."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Johnny sighed. "I was expecting to have to use the ship for the  
sleeping quarters... but if the house is this big, then maybe..."  
  
*****  
  
Sol stood, along with most everyone else, in the main entrance foyer,  
and looked up at the ceiling eighty feet above him. He whistled in  
appreciation before commenting, "Nice place..."  
  
"This house is HUGE!" May called down from the balcony high above.  
"There's gotta be, like, fifty bedrooms here!"  
  
"A hotel?" Venom asked, scratching his chin. "No, this foyer is  
definitely not a hotel lobby... perhaps it used to be a hotel, and  
was remodeled into a house... meaning this was once a tourist spot..."  
  
"Still," Baiken mused. "I wonder who lives here..."  
  
"Doesn't look like anyone LIVES here," Millia said thoughtfully.  
"It's probably a summer house or something... I'm sure nobody would  
mind if we borrowed it for a few days..."  
  
Ky bristled at the thought. "No! We are all already guilty of breaking  
and entering, I refuse to add thievery to that!"  
  
"Technically," Anji perked up. "The front door was unlocked, so we  
didn't have to 'break' anything to get in... and we're not stealing  
anything... RIGHT, pirate-san?"  
  
Johnny turned his head from left to right, then sighed as he reached  
inside his coat. He pulled out a gold candelabra and replaced it on  
the table. "It's only gold-plated, anyway..."  
  
Anji continued, "Since we aren't stealing anything, we aren't really  
thieves, either! Freeloaders, perhaps, but there's nothing explicitly  
ILLEGAL about that..."  
  
"REGARDLESS... I will not stand for you all taking rooms in this house  
for yourselves!"  
  
*****  
  
Ky sat cross-legged and cross-armed on the front lawn, silently fuming.  
Or perhaps not so silently. "Lawbreakers," he murmured. "All of them.  
Well, fine. I'll just sleep here, under the stars. After all, it's a  
lovely night, and-"  
  
He was cut off suddenly by the automatic sprinklers turning on,  
thoroughly drenching him in a matter of seconds. He took a deep  
breath, maintaining his composure well. He drummed his fingers on  
his arms and glanced from side to side. "I was feeling hot anyway,"  
he lied. "You heathens aren't going to beat me that easily!" The  
sprinklers died down, and Ky nodded triumphantly.  
  
"Heya Ky!" Jam called out. She ran toward him with a bundle under one  
arm as she waved with the other. "I turned off the sprinklers for  
you! I thought you looked kind of lonely out here, so I decided to  
keep you company. I brought a tent and a sleeping bag, too!"  
  
"It was not necessary, Miss Jam. I just... um, you said you brought  
sleeping bagS, right?" Ky took special care to mention the plural.  
  
Jam hummed a little tune as she set up the tent. "Oh sure, sure," she  
waved him off. "Now, what were you saying?"  
  
Ky sighed as he expounded, "Well, I am not so sure this party is the  
best idea. I mean, we are all very different people, with different  
views and personalities... it's ludicrous to put us in the same room  
and not expect something terrible to happen. I mean, even with the  
mansion here... I am trying to stay silent on this matter, but it  
truly bothers me how little respect they seem to have for the true  
owners of this establishment..."  
  
Jam finished setting up the tent, and dusted off her hands. "There!  
Well, Ky, you can keep talking... I'll just be in here." She then  
entered the tent, closing the flap behind her. "No peeking now!" she  
giggled.  
  
"Peeking? Peeking at... woah!" Ky swiftly turned his head as Jam's  
dress came flying out from the tent. "Um, Miss Jam, this scene might  
cause a misunderstanding. Women should... gah!" He choked on his own  
words as a bra flew out and landed on his head, draping across his  
face. He removed it quickly as he stammered, "P-Please do not toss  
your undergarments about so casually! That is... uh..." He forgot what  
he was about to say as Jam's arm slithered out from the tent, holding  
a pair of panties. She teasingly waved them in the air, then let them  
fall to the ground. She retracted her arm while beckoning suggestively  
as Ky's face became so warm his clothes dried instantly.  
  
A tiny Sol appeared on the left side of Ky's head, letting his feet  
dangle down as he sat on Ky's shoulder. He was sporting horns at the  
top of his head and a pointed tail poked out from behind him. "Kid,  
she's totally asking for it. Just go in there and let your hormones do  
the rest."  
  
Ky's eyes shifted to the right, where a tiny version of his late  
mentor, Kliff Undersn, appeared on his shoulder. He looked much as  
Ky remembered him, except he had grown a pair of white wings on his  
back and a halo was hovering over his head. The old man scratched his  
beard as he said, "Now don't go listening to what that boy has to say.  
In my time, these things had an order. The boy asks the girl for a  
date. They spend some time together. They decide whether they're right  
for each other, get hitched, and THEN do the horizontal polka. Not a  
moment before!"  
  
"Shut up, geezer," Devil Sol spat. "You're so behind the times."  
  
"Have some respect, you whippersnapper!" Angel Kliff bellowed. "I  
oughta put you over my knee and slap some decent morals into you!" He  
directed his attention back to Ky as he reasoned, "Listen, my boy, you  
gotta have some self-control. You're an officer of the law, for cryin'  
out loud!"  
  
"If he's able to stay out here while she's in there, he must be gay  
too."  
  
Seeing this argument had struck a cord with Ky, Kliff quickly  
countered, "Responsibility is nothing to be ashamed of!"  
  
"It is if it keeps you a virgin! Boy, you're in your prime. You can't  
just let yourself grow old waiting for some 'right girl' to come along.  
Not when you've got one hot-looking chick that's practically jumping  
in your pants already!"  
  
"Ky?" Jam poked her head out from the tent. She was leaning to the  
side, letting the flaps of the tent hide the rest of her body. "What  
are you doing?"  
  
"Nothing!" he blurted out. Devil Sol and Angel Kliff vanished in a  
puff of smoke, leaving Ky no less confused than before.  
  
"Really?" Jam snickered. "Then come on and join me. It must be cold  
out there, but it's so warm in here..."  
  
Ky felt his face grow hot again. He pulled on the collar of his  
uniform as he replied, "Well, it's not that I don't appreciate the  
offer, but... um, I'm okay out here. You really don't need to go  
through all the trouble of..."  
  
"GET IN HERE!" Jam screamed as she took hold of the back of his collar  
and physically dragged him into the tent.   
  
The tent closed up and shook back and forth, and sounds of a struggle  
could be heard from within. Although his voice was somewhat muffled,  
Ky could still plainly be heard, "Miss Jam, please control yourself!  
Night is the time to get rest! After all, we both have a huge party  
to go to tomorrow, and we don't want-"  
  
In the house, a single light was on. Sol watched the tent bob and  
shake from his bedroom window through slit eyes. He shook his head as  
he complained, "The kid is first one to get any... I hate this party  
already."  
  
  
Nee-chan: Anji refers to Baiken as "nee-chan", or "sister", even though  
they have no familial relationship. I decided to keep the original  
Japanese word because Anji saying "sister" just doesn't sound right.  
  
Anji's speech: Behold, the powers of BS at work! If you ever wondered  
how I'm able to pass my classes when I obviously don't do any work in  
them... this is it!  
  
  
Next chapter: A Japanese tradition gone awry leads to a gigantic mess.  
Looks like everyone needs to get all cleaned up! How suspiciously  
convenient that the mansion just HAPPENS to have his-and-her hot  
springs. Let the fanservice commence!  



	4. Part 4 : Shameless Fanservice

Author's Note: Heh heh... heh. So it's been a while since an update. I'm  
sorry about that, but this chapter was kinda hard to get out the door...  
  
And for everyone that's wondering, NO, this is not a Ky/Jam fic, per se. IMO,  
the pairing only exists in the game as comic relief, and that is exactly how  
it will be treated here. In fact, I am loathe to include any sort of pairing,  
considering how polarizing such things can be in some fandoms (Ranma 1/2 and  
Love Hina, to name a few). This is a comedy fic, and the relationship Ky and  
Jam have easily lends itself to humorous moments. I am writing this for  
laughs, not to promote any particular pairing.  
  
*deep breath* Good! Now that I've got that off my chest... on with the show!  
  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Guilty Gear. If I did, I'd have put a Japanese  
schoolgirl in the cast by now. Unfortunately (or fortunately, as the case may  
be), it and all its characters are currently owned by Sammy and by Arc Systems.  
Please do not sue me, I have no money.  
  
A Little Bit of Innocence  
A waste of good bandwidth by: TheArchimage  
  
Part 4 : Shameless Fanservice  
------------------------------  
  
  
The next morning the guests gathered at the breakfast table of the mansion.  
Jam worked busily in the kitchen, practically skipping from stove to stove  
as she practiced her trade. Some of the other guests had already sat down in  
preparation for breakfast. The table was rectangular and long, so large that  
there were more spaces than guests even with this large of a crew.  
  
Jam beamed happily as she placed all the dishes down. "Breakfast will be ready  
in just a minute, everyone! I just need to finish the last of the pancakes...  
oh no Ky, your seat is right HERE!" She guided the knight who had just entered  
to the head of the large table, at which was set a fabulous throne. It hadn't  
been reserved, but since it was next to Baiken and she was known for waking up  
irritable no one had taken it. Only Anji dared sit next to her, but he had  
chosen the opposite side. "You just sit there, and I'll be RIGHT back!" Jam  
then happily skipped back into the kitchen, humming a little tune to herself.  
  
All heads turned as one to look at Ky. He glanced down both sides of the table  
before cautiously asking, "What?"  
  
Chipp was the first to speak. He cleared his throat before leaning to his  
right, toward Ky, and whispering, "Well, I don't want to make any assumptions,  
but... did you boink her?"  
  
Anji whacked Chipp on the top of his head with a fan as he laughed nervously.  
"Ha ha ha... what I believe my overly forward friend MEANT to ask was, did  
something happen between you and Jam-chan last night?"  
  
Ky gave both of them an unamused glare as he said, "I have no idea what you're  
talking about. Now, could someone pass the maple syrup?"  
  
"Just as soon as I'm done with it..." Faust replied. He was currently pouring  
himself a tall glass of the brown liquid.  
  
Ky made a face, suddenly feeling much less hungry. "Um, take your time..."  
  
Millia's eyebrow twitched as she got up out of her seat, moving one seat away  
from Faust toward the head of the table. Dizzy welcomed her new neighbor  
with an excited "Hi!" and a friendly wave.  
  
Johnny leaned across the empty seat between him and Ky and said, "Now now, you  
don't have to play innocent with me. After all, why else would you be looking  
so tired, if you didn't have a loooooong night?"  
  
Jam sat down in the empty chair between them, suddenly ending the conversation.  
She placed a final plate of pancakes near the center of the table and smiled.  
"OKAY! Everything's ready! All that's left is for Ky to lead us in saying  
grace..."  
  
Near the far end of the table Sol speared a stack of pancakes with his fork.  
"Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub. Now let's eat..."  
  
Ky eyed him carefully. "Heathen," he said simply before lowering his head.  
"Heavenly father, we thank you for giving us another morning on your glorious  
earth, and we thank you for the bounty you have laid out before us. Please  
bless us with your kindness for the rest of this day, amen." Ky raised his  
head and opened his eyes. "Now, shall we all... AH!"  
  
The massive stacks of pancakes set out across the table had all vanished, and  
the other guests were patting their stomachs appreciatively.  
  
Ky fumed. "You... YOU! Why didn't you wait until grace was finished?"  
  
"It was finished," Chipp explained. "Great job, Sol!" If Sol heard that, he  
made no sign of it. He simply grimaced and leaned back in his seat as he used  
his fingernail to clean between his teeth.  
  
Jam sighed. "Guess I'll have to make more. I'll be right back, Ky, so just  
sit tight!"  
  
Ky sighed and buried his face in his hands. "How much longer will this torture  
continue?"  
  
Chipp sighed. "There there... no need to be so dramatic. Things will turn  
around, you'll see..."  
  
Baiken rolled her eyes as she took a puff of her pipe. "Ain't that a load  
of..."  
  
Anji turned toward in his seat toward her, shushing, "The boy is right behind  
me, you should at least TRY not to start fights..."  
  
"Wait a moment," Venom said, peeking at Ky from behind Potemkin's huge form.  
"Didn't we just land? Where did Miss Jam get all this food from?"  
  
Ky blinked. "I'm... not certain. Why did you look at me as if I knew?"  
  
Faust's head jerked upward slightly. "Hmm?" he mumbled to himself. "I could  
have sworn I heard air escaping from a hole in the plot... must have been just  
me..."  
  
*****  
  
After Ky had been sufficiently fed, the group decided to explore the rest of  
the island. Chipp, however, had beaten them all outside and made them gather  
around just outside the main door for a special message.  
  
"Alright!" Chipp said holding up a large watermelon in one hand and a hammer  
in the other. "Time to get this started off the RIGHT way!" He placed the  
watermelon on the grass and proclaimed, "This is how we Japanese start a  
party! We're gonna take turns swinging at this thing blindfolded, and the  
first person to split it apart wins!"  
  
Baiken raised an eyebrow. "THAT'S a pretty obscure tradition... how do you  
suppose he..." Her eyes turned to Anji, who was whistling innocently. Her  
eyes narrowed as she sighed, "You really shouldn't encourage him, you know."  
  
"Eh, he's not a bad guy. Besides, he told me a little bit about how the Mafia  
is organized. It was a fair trade of information."  
  
Baiken shook her head. "Ignoring, of course, that we should be on a BEACH for  
this..."  
  
"Shhh," Anji smirked. "Let the kid have his fun."  
  
Chipp held up a baseball bat and announced, "Okay! Who wants to take a crack  
at it?" Not a sound. "Come on! Anyone?"  
  
Potemkin finished tying a rag over his eyes, taking the silence for a lack of  
objections. "Very well," he said. "In the interest of fun, I shall begin."  
He then hefted a hammer that was huge even by his standards, with a head twice  
as large as his fists and a shaft that was easily taller than he was. He  
was forced to heft it with both hands, and everyone gathered could see the  
disaster in the making but could do nothing to stop it. Potemkin raised the  
mighty hammer above his head, his muscles bulging from the effort.  
  
"INCOMING!!!!" Faust shouted, quickly donning a pair of blast-protection  
goggles.   
  
"RRRRRAAAAAAAGGGGGHHH!"  
  
Potemkin brought the hammer down with a mighty crash, his strike landing dead  
on accurate. Shattered pieces of watermelon flew everywhere, splattering all  
over the assembled fighters. The blow had even left a large crater in the  
earth, and smoke was rising from the middle of it.  
  
Luckily, Anji's Stopping Fans had been unfolded in time, leaving both himself  
and Baiken completely untouched. "Nice reflexes," Baiken complimented, mildly  
impressed. "But can those fans stop more than just bits of fruit?"  
  
"If that is a challenge, then I welcome it anytime," Anji smiled as he shook  
his fans dry. "And by the way, you're welcome. I know for a fact dry  
cleaning never would have covered THAT."  
  
Dizzy peeked out from behind Undine, who had used her own body to protect her.  
"Thank you, Undine," she said. Undine looked down at her gown, distressed, as  
Dizzy reassured her, "Don't worry, I'm sure it will come out..."  
  
Jam shook her head from deep inside the house. "Well, at least nobody's died  
yet... hey, Chipp, how'd you get all the way back here?"  
  
Chipp stood up straight and clasped his hands together in a Shinobi salute,  
very pleased with himself. "Because I'm a ninja. And don't forget it."  
  
Venom patted Potemkin on the shoulder. "Perhaps you shouldn't have used so  
much force, sir. A good break requires JUST the right amount of power..."  
  
Potemkin shook his head and looked at his hammer. "From the way our young  
ninja described it, I thought that was part of the game..."  
  
Johnny adjusted his collar in an effort to look more dignified; a worthless  
gesture, since his pimpin' outfit was now but a shadow of it's former glory.  
"Well, some of our clothes are a bit messy now. If you don't have an extra  
change, you'll be spending the rest of the weekend in your swimsuits. Of  
course, you ladies are more than welcome to do just that..." There was a  
slight pause in his commentary as May leapt up and punched him in the back of  
the head, causing a crack to form in his sunglasses.  
  
Johnny shook off the blow and continued, "Anyway, even if our clothes are a bit  
messy, there's no reason that we should leave ourselves like this. Thankfully,  
the mansion has a hot spring in the back that we can use to clean ourselves up.  
There's even a separation between the ladies' and gentlemen's side. How  
convenient, eh? Hope you boys and girls remembered to bring your soap with  
you..."  
  
Jam perked up, "Oh, that's good! I'll need a little more time to get my things  
set up anyway. Hey, you two!" she called toward Baiken and Anji. "Since you  
don't need to get clean, why don't you help me out? I'll pay you! You too,  
Chipp!"  
  
Anji rubbed his chin in thought. "Hmmm..."  
  
Baiken looked away. "I'm not... cooking isn't something I'm good with..."  
  
"Aw, come on!" Jam pressured. "I'm sure you know all kinds of recipes that   
most people have never even heard of! Hey! That'd be a killer advertisement!  
'Cranberry Jam's, now featuring long-lost Japanese cuisine'!"  
  
Chipp's eyes glimmered. "Japanese food...?"  
  
Baiken murmured, "Knowing them and making them are two different things..."  
  
Anji whispered in her ear, "Perhaps, but you do know if we don't show her how  
to make Japanese food, she's going to try learning from our 'ninja' friend..."  
  
Baiken made a face, her mind conjuring up unpleasant images of what Chipp  
considered "Japanese food". "You... do have a point. But understand mine..."  
she said as she raised her right arm. Or rather, displayed her mostly empty  
right sleeve. She clarified, "Cooking with one arm is a royal pain in the ass."  
  
Anji sighed. "Fine. I'll do it alone, but only if you get rid of our friend  
the ninja. The boy means well, but he just doesn't have the refinement  
necessary for cooking traditional foods. Ah, I mean, just keep him away from  
the kitchen, not literally get rid of him."   
  
Baiken sheathed her sword, disappointed. "You're sure? Damn."  
  
Anji gave her a humored grin. "Very sure. I'm counting on you..."  
  
*****  
  
Only a few minutes later, almost everyone had procured a towel and headed for  
the hot springs. Chipp and Baiken were busily helping Jam in the kitchen. Or  
perhaps not so much helping as "getting in her way".  
  
"AAAAAAH!" came Jam's sudden shout. "What are you two DOING?! That soup was  
supposed to be for lunch! Get out of my kitchen, both of you! Out out out  
out OOOOUUUT!!!!" A stream of pots and pans came flying from out the service  
entrance, and both Baiken and Chipp did their best to dodge the hurled  
kitchenware as they scrambled out. Both were soaked in a brown broth, with  
various vegetable chunks on their clothing.  
  
Chipp sighed as he looked at Baiken. "You started it."  
  
Baiken glared at him sideways. "Did not."  
  
"Did too!"  
  
"Just shut up. I'm taking a bath. Otherwise, the stench of this stuff'll  
never come up." Baiken then walked off, mumbling under her breath, "You  
idiot, you owe me for this..."  
  
Chipp looked away sharply in disgust. "Feh, women!"  
  
*****  
  
***INTERMISSION!***  
  
I know you all would like to see naked flesh, but this isn't that kind of fic.  
Go read hentai doujinshi if you want to see that. In our case, we'll have to  
keep you distracted while the guys and gals change in order to keep the PG-13  
rating.  
  
So without any further ado, we proudly present:  
  
_**Guilty Gear Brain Teaser:**  
Price of Seating_  
  
You're going to have to think about this one, so get ready! The question is  
this: where, exactly, was everyone sitting during breakfast? Many clues can  
be found in the breakfast scene, but here are a few more hints to keep in mind:  
  
1. There are FIVE empty seats at the table, and twenty seats in total. (BIG  
table!) 2. No one is sitting at the foot of the table, opposite from Ky.  
3. Millia and Venom can't stand each other, and are neither sitting next to  
each other nor across from each other.  
4. No one is sitting either next to or across from Sol, Testament, or Faust.  
Of these three, Sol is furthest from the head of the table, and Faust is the  
closest.  
5. Potemkin is so large that he takes up two seats.  
6. All of the present Jellyfish pirates are sitting next to each other.  
7. No two people with the same color costume is sitting next to each other.  
Assume all characters are in their default costumes, and only the most  
dominant color counts. (So Dizzy's costume is considered black, and Baiken's  
is considered pink.) If two colors are present in roughly equal amounts,  
their costume counts as both. (So Chipp's costume is both black and white,  
as is Venom's)  
  
Give up? The answer is at the end of the chapter in the Author's Notes!  
  
And, since everyone seems to be finished changing, we now go back to our  
regularly scheduled fic!  
  
*****  
  
The hot springs were sizable, with a boys and girls side separated by a thin  
wall. The guys all had towels around their waists, although Sol had an extra  
one that he was fashioning into a rat tail. Each one had a rather impressive  
build, although it went without saying that Potemkin had the most impressive of  
them all. Of course, with his short legs, Potemkin also kept tripping over his  
towel, but that was neither here nor there.  
  
"So, it's only us guys now," Johnny said, sliding next to Ky. "So tell me  
officer, how kinky is Jam? Did she make use of your handcuffs?"  
  
Ky ignored him. "I have no idea what you're talking about."  
  
Sol smirked. "Really, kid? Wasn't that her dragging you into the tent last  
night?"  
  
Ky stammered, "What? Y-you saw?!"  
  
"Aha!" Johnny exclaimed. "So something did happen! Details! I want details!"  
  
Ky lowered his head and shuddered, his entire body glowing red. He  
repeated, "A gentleman never tells... a gentleman never tells..." like a  
mantra. Finally, Ky relented. "Okay, okay! I'll talk!"  
  
Everyone leaned in close. Ky took a deep breath and turned red as he stammered  
out the story: "There... there was... some kissing... and maybe a... a grope or  
two... but I told her calmly and rationally, that I was not that kind of man,  
that I needed time and space, and that I was... erm... saving myself. After a  
few minutes... alright, to be honest it was hours... she... accepted that. And  
then we went to sleep."  
  
A moment of silence. The girls could be heard giggling on the other side of  
the wall, and a few birds could be heard chirping, swapping the latest news.  
Finally, Sol slowly held his arm back and whipped Ky in the back with the rat  
tail with a silence-shattering snap. "Ow! What was that-"  
  
"That was for getting so worked up over second base. For God's sake, kid, you  
SERIOUSLY need to loosen up."  
  
"You're just upset I listened to Kliff instead of you."  
  
"...What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"Nothing," Ky shot back quickly as he turned away.  
  
Chipp looked around for a moment, realizing something. "Wait a minute," he   
said. "Where'd that weird-ass doctor go?"  
  
His question was answered as someone shouted from high above: "CANNONBALL!"  
  
Faust landed in the middle of the spring, causing a much smaller than expected  
splash. Potemkin looked down at the water, which only barely came up to his  
waist. "This water is only two and a half feet deep..." As he said this, Faust  
floated to the surface face-down and his limbs hanging limp. The paper bag was,  
miraculously enough, still dry.  
  
"Is he dead?" Chipp said, leaning forward while poking him on the shoulder  
with a stick.  
  
Sol had retreated to the side of the spring, close to the wall. He could hear  
the women chatting busily away on the other side as he leaned against the wall.  
A small puff of smoke appeared over his left shoulder, and when it cleared a  
tiny Justice was sitting there. Of course, this Justice had tiny horns at the  
top of his head and a pitchfork dangled from one hand, but other than that it was  
a perfect resemblance of the King of Gears.  
  
Justice raised his head menacingly. "My mission... is genocide." Sol gave  
him a curious look, and Justice shrugged. "Sorry. It's sort of my catch  
phrase."  
  
"What do you want?" Sol asked a bit angrily.  
  
"Not what I want, but what you want. I mean... this wall isn't very high; I'm  
sure a man of your strength could just lift himself up and..."  
  
"Hold it right there!"  
  
A puff of black smoke (or were they tiny bats?) appeared over Sol's right  
shoulder. When it cleared, a tiny Slayer with angelic wings was hovering  
there, sitting on his cape while puffing his pipe.  
  
Sol raised an eyebrow. "Are you supposed to be that old man, or are you just  
the good side of my conscience come down for a cheap gag?"  
  
The winged Slayer puffed on his pipe, sighing. "I am not the proverbial 'angel  
on the shoulder', nor am I actually your old acquaintance. I represent the  
bad-ass side of your personality. And I say that this is quite juvenile  
behavior for a man of your standing. I mean, come off it... you can't go for  
a wide-eyed peek at female flesh like some love-starved geek in a teen movie.  
Remember your image!"  
  
Devil Justice folded his arms as it asked, "Have you SEEN what's on the other  
side?"  
  
Slayer responded quickly, "I know perfectly well what's there."  
  
"So? That's not the same thing. Go check, then see what you have to say."  
  
Winged Slayer shook his head as he flapped his wings, [eeling just over the  
top of the fence. His face hardened suddenly, and he hastily ducked back out  
of sight to land on Sol's head. He took a long, slow puff of his pipe as he  
contemplated the situation. After a long pause he said, "... Fine, but you  
have to look at them out of the corner of his eye, like you're not really  
interested. That would look so very bad-ass."  
  
"Gotcha," Sol mumbled as he found a good handhold on the fence and the two  
winged chibis vanished in a puff of smoke. Just as he was about to lift  
himself up, Johnny appeared at his side.  
  
"No, no, no!" Johnny pushed him aside. "How dare you look at ladies like  
that?"  
  
Sol gave him a look. "Who's gonna stop me? You?"  
  
Johnny shook his finger at him as he took up his sword with his other hand.   
Sol had to blink, wondering just where he had pulled it from. Johnny  
admonished, "Just watch..." He pulled the katana out of the sheath a tiny bit,  
and white smoke began pouring out of it. Within seconds, both Sol and Johnny  
were hidden from view.  
  
Johnny replaced his sword in the sheath with a smile. "This is how it's done.  
This way they can't see you. Honestly, you'd think you had never done something  
like this before." Johnny peeked his head over the fence towards the women's  
side, Sol joining him with a smirk on his face.  
  
Ky watched them in disgust. "Spying on innocent maidens... the devil take   
them for their debauchery!"  
  
Chipp nodded. "For once, I agree with you. I hope something really bad  
happens to them."  
  
*****  
  
Dizzy laid down at the side of the water, quietly resting with a towel around  
her as Undine soaked in the water. Necro looked about as unhappy as usual,  
arms crossed with an off-white blindfold covering his eyes. Dizzy addressed  
him without opening her eyes, "I really appreciate this, Necro, and I'm sure  
Undine does too. Just be patient a little while longer."  
  
May had abandoned any attempt at washing up; her eyes were now focused squarely  
on Baiken. She watched the samurai with wide-eyed and open-mouthed admiration.  
Baiken eyed her warily, hoping for once that she was paying more attention to  
her missing arm than what she thought she was looking at. "What are you staring  
at?" she finally asked.  
  
The young pirate blinked. "So big..." she whispered, entranced. She shook her  
head quickly to bring herself to her senses. "I mean, you better stay away from  
Johnny! He doesn't like mean girls!" She then turned away from her in huff.  
  
Baiken raised an eyebrow at the brat. "Uh, sure. Whatever you say. Hey,  
hair girl, come over here. I'll wash your back for you."  
  
Millia had a towel wrapped around her chest that she clung to with a death  
grip. Her face was somewhat flushed, although she was pretending not to be  
bothered by it. "I... I am fine here... you don't need to..."  
  
"First time in a Japanese style hot spring, is it?" Baiken asked with a smirk.  
Baiken and May had their towels off to the side for later use. "Don't be so  
ashamed. There's nothing you've got I haven't seen before."  
  
"You don't have to rub it in!" Millia retorted. She caught her tongue and her  
eyes widened. She then sank into the water up to her nose, thoroughly embarrassed.  
  
Dizzy spoke up a little, "Um... excuse me... Undine says..."  
  
Whatever Undine had said drove Necro over the edge. He whirled toward her  
angrily, tearing off the blindfold and shaking his fist as a vein popped out  
on his forehead. Dizzy gasped, and everyone turned toward her. Necro noticed  
the position he was in, looking from the girls to the blindfold and then back  
again. He got a slight blush on his cheeks, and started to rub the back of his  
head while averting his eyes. The girls were seething, and were about to launch  
an attack when...  
  
SPLOOSH!  
  
A large something landed right in the middle of the small spring. The girls  
looked toward it, wondering what could have caused it. A few bubbles reached  
the surface, followed by a loud splash as something broke the surface.  
  
It was a blond haired man with a red bandana tied around his forehead. His  
hair was long, as well as slightly ragged and unkempt. His denim jacket had  
clearly seen better days, as the sleeves were torn off entirely. His jeans  
had been cut short in a similar fashion, and many loose threads poked out  
from where the tear had occurred. The style of dress was very old, but  
unmistakable.  
  
"AAAAH!" Axl Low took a deep breath as he pulled himself above water. "Oh,  
bugger, now I'm all wet... Well, at least I got away from those crazy samurai.  
But I wonder where I am now?" He looked up at his surroundings, he seemed to  
be in some kind of hot spring. He was also being stared at by a horde of   
glowing red eyes, belonging to several females with nothing but towels to  
cover them (if even that).  
  
He rubbed the back of his head, starting to get the feeling he might have been  
better off with the samurai. "Ha ha ha... how awkward... Say girls, you   
wouldn't mind giving me a little head start, would ya? I still have jet lag,  
or something of the sort... please?"  
  
His pleas went sadly unheeded. Within seconds they were upon him, delivering  
a savage beating that could only come from women dealing with a letcher.   
  
"AAAAAHHHH!" Dizzy screamed as Undine tried to cover herself and Necro gave Axl  
a left hook.  
  
"What are you looking at?" Baiken asked angrily as she kicked him in the  
stomach, causing him to double over.  
  
"Pedophile!" May screamed as she stomped on his head with both feet, sending  
him face-first into the water.  
  
"The men's side is over... there!" Millia said as her hair wrapped around Axl  
and tossed him bodily towards the men's lake.   
  
Sol and Johnny didn't react in time to dodge the human missile heading toward  
them and they each caught a face-full of Axl. The three went flying backwards,  
causing a large splash as they sank deep under the water. There was silence for  
several moments. Finally, all three of the men floated to the surface, their   
limbs hanging limply.  
  
Ky sighed at the three bodies floating in the water. "Divine justice cannot  
be avoided... they brought this upon themselves."  
  
Venom got Potemkin's attention, and pointed toward the three. "Did you see  
that? THAT is how a break is done." Potemkin's mouth made an "o" of  
understanding.  
  
Faust shook his head. "Ah, more patients. Folks in such a dangerous  
profession always seem to come back again and again. Well, let's see...  
other than a nasty bump on the head, I don't see any external injuries." He  
paused threateningly as he pulled a rubber glove on up to his elbow. "I'd  
better check for... INTERNAL injuries..."  
  
Sol shot a fearsome glare at Faust. "Don't even think about it," he warned,  
his threat dramatically less menacing due to the fact that his mouth was  
half-submerged and caused bubbles to form with each syllable.  
  
Faust paused a moment, then started to take off his glove. "Spoilsport," he  
whined.  
  
*****  
  
After Axl regained consciousness, the guests all agreed that Axl needed a new  
wardrobe: his current clothes were not only beat-up, but soaking wet. Faust  
suggested something he called "a Yatta leaf", but since no one knew what he was  
talking about Johnny decided to take him aboard the Jellyfish and give him some  
clothes they... found. Yes, found, that's the ticket. Definitely not stolen.  
  
He was now wearing a long sleeve shirt under his denim jacket, in the style and  
colors of the flag of Great Britain. His shorts were also gone, replaced by  
long blue pants. Axl scratched his head as he asked, "You know, I really hate  
to ask this, but... are you sure you've got nothing else in my size?"  
  
Johnny shook his head. "Sorry, pal, that's it. Besides, I don't think it's a  
good idea to change clothes... those have sort of become your trademark."  
  
Axl blinked. "Trademark?"  
  
May gave him the thumbs up. "Oh yeah! You've been wearing those for months!  
I can't imagine you in anything else!"  
  
"Months, you say? Smashing. Guess I'm going to be jumping around time for a  
while yet, then..." Axl sighed as he examined his new threads once more.   
"Nothing quite screams 'British' like a Union Jack emblazoned on your chest.   
Well, better than nothing. Say, I'm feeling a bit peckish... when's lunch?"  
  
  
******  
  
Teasing Ky: I know it seems like I have something against him, but in reality  
he's just fun to pick on. He's actually one of my favorite characters!  
  
Brainteaser answer:  
  
  
Ky   
/ \   
Jam Baiken   
| |   
Johnny Anji   
| |   
May Chipp   
| |   
Dizzy Potemkin   
| |   
Millia (Potemkin)   
| |   
(Empty) Venom   
| |   
Faust (Empty)   
| |   
(Empty) Sol   
| |   
Testament (Empty)   
\ /   
(Empty)   
  
Peeping Johnny: You have to admit, it's a pretty unique way to use Bacchus  
Sigh...  
  
Axl's outfit: Ever wonder why Axl had such a dramatic costume change between  
Guilty Gear and Guilty Gear X? Well, wonder no more!  
  
Next chapter: Well, it looks like Axl's decided to, um, drop in. Everyone   
continues to settle in, but it looks like Sol and Ky have a few other things  
to settle! Laughs! Education! Sol & Ky... VIOLENCE, that is! It's all  
coming next time... because can it really be a Guilty Gear fic if the knight  
and the rebel don't beat the hell out of each other at least once?  



	5. Part 5 : Noontide

Author's Note: Yes, I know it's been a while since I updated. And yes, I know there isn't as much  
of "teh FOO-nay" in this chapter. But I think every Guilty Gear writer, at some point, has to  
write a Sol & Ky fight scene. It's like a rite of passage, or perhaps a test of skill. And  
this... this is my time.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Guilty Gear. If I did, I'd punch Sol in the face every time he said  
"Itadakiiii!" (god damn Dust Loop). Unfortunately, it is currently owned by Sammy and by Arc  
Systems. Please do not sue me, I have no money.  
  
A Little Bit of Innocence  
A waste of good bandwidth by: TheArchimage   
  
Part 5 : Noontide  
------------------------------  
  
Axl didn't have a clue when this whole "party" thing got started. He was especially confused  
when Sol insisted that Axl had begged him to come in the first place. Through a little bit of  
discussion, it was discovered that this Axl was from just a few months after the first tournament,  
and so had never met a large number of the people present. After a quick round of introductions  
Axl was all caught up. Well, except for one minor detail...  
  
Axl whined, "When's lunch going to be ready?"  
  
Dizzy patted him on the shoulder. "Pretty soon, I think. Jam just got some of the Jellyfish  
pirates to help her in the kitchen, so it won't be too long."  
  
Axl started a bit upon seeing the half-Gear. "Woah... I think it's going to take me a while to  
get used to those wings..."  
  
Dizzy smiled back, "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll do just fine. Actually... I know you will. The  
first time we met you were very calm about it."  
  
"Oh, wait..." Axl said, shaking his head. "I'm meeting you here, but the next time I run into  
you, you wouldn't have met me yet. That'd be kinda awkward... tell you what, next time I see you  
I'll try to act like we haven't met before. Okay?"  
  
Dizzy sighed. "You don't do a very good job, but it's okay."  
  
Axl cringed. "And I always thought I was pretty good actor..."  
  
Dizzy shook her head, smiling. "Oh, heavens no! You really stink! Uh, oops... I'm sorry.  
Undine just told me that wasn't very nice..."  
  
A dark cloud hung over Axl's head, and he wore a huge frown. "Oh... it's okay..." he droned  
depressingly. Dizzy patted him on the shoulder again, trying her best to mend the damage.  
  
Jam leaned out the window at that moment. "Ky-baby!" she shouted in a sing-song voice. "Lunch is  
served!" She then, in a much nastier tone, yelled, "The rest of you louts, grub's up!"   
  
Potemkin blinked. "Ky... baby?"  
  
Baiken shook her head. "Just... don't ask."  
  
As they came into the dining room they were greeted by the girls of the Jellyfish pirates, the  
lot of them dressed as French maids. "Welcome!" they all greeted cheerfully in unison.   
  
Chipp was a little taken aback. "The hell?"  
  
May shrugged as he explained, "Well, Jam wanted a little bit of help, so she hired some of the  
girls for some part time work. Of course, Johnny's a little bit upset since he's not getting a  
cut..."  
  
The aforementioned pirate was, at the moment, angrily shouting at two or three of the girls. "I  
don't believe you all... I spent years taking care of you! And this is how you repay me?!"  
  
June put on a strained smile as she repeated, "Please, sir, just take your seat..."  
  
July explained, "Well, the hours were acceptable, we get frequent breaks, and here... if you'll  
take a look over this dental plan, I think you'll agree that we just couldn't afford to pass this  
up!"  
  
Johnny grumbled, "Mutineers, all of you..."  
  
April stood off to the side, marking off the guests as they came in, "Check... check... check  
checkity check-check check... huh? We're missing two... where's Ky? And Sol?"  
  
"The officer?" Anji piped up. "Ky left a little while ago, said he had some unfinished business  
to take care of."  
  
"The bounty hunter walked off not too long ago, as well," Venom remarked. "He mentioned something  
about 'the things he lets himself get talked into'... oh dear."  
  
All the pieces suddenly fell into place. April covered her face with her hand as she lamented,  
"...Oh no, they didn't..."  
  
May perked up. "You think they eloped?"  
  
Potemkin gave Johnny a disapproving glare. "And WHERE did she learn about such things, pirate?"  
  
Johnny shrugged his shoulders innocently. "I don't know... off the street somewhere?"  
  
Potemkin folded his arms across his chest as he countered, "You seem to be forgetting that, as a  
criminal, you ARE the street."  
  
Faust shook his head. "Silly girl, given their past record I find it highly unlikely they'd do  
something so inappropriate with each other. Rather, I believe it is far more possible that they  
are engaged in the more wholesome activity of cutting themselves to bits with sharp implements  
until one of them has no more blood to bleed."  
  
"Probably," Millia responded evenly. "Better get your bandages out, doctor. I think Ky's gonna  
need them."  
  
Jam eyed Millia strangely. "What makes you think a scruffy old grouch like Sol is going to beat  
up the handsome, dashing, WONderful Ky Kiske?"  
  
Millia said matter-of-factly, "Because he kicks the crap out of him every time."  
  
Jam started to fume. "Oh yeah? Not this time! Ky's gonna win! Anybody can see that he's been  
practicing so hard, he'll smack that oaf around without breaking a sweat!"  
  
Millia narrowed her eyes dangerously. "I think you'd better put your money where your mouth is."  
  
"How much did you have in mind?" Jam challenged, a wicked gleam in her eye. Most lesser men would  
have cowered in fear at the very sight of it. For Millia, it was as laughable as watching a young  
child puff up her cheeks.  
  
Millia slipped a few bills on the table in front of her. "Five hundred World Dollars says Sol  
drags Ky's unconscious ass back here."  
  
Without a moment's thought, Jam slammed her own wad of bills on the table. "You're on! Ky's  
gonna WASTE that mulleted goon!"  
  
Venom tapped his pool cue to get everyone's attention. "Anyone else going to join in on this?  
I've got 2.5-to-1 odds on Ky, do we have any takers?"  
  
Faust just shook his head. "Silly people! What point is there in a bet if it's too late to pay  
off one of the fighters to take a dive?"  
  
Johnny raised a wad of bills. "I put 300 on Sol!"  
  
May rummaged through the pockets of Johnny's overcoat, and came up with a few coins. "I've got  
140... wait, 142 on Ky!" When Johnny gave her a look, she just shrugged her shoulders innocently  
and explained, "What? I think he looks cuter."  
  
"One more for Mr. Sol! I've got... two hundred World Dollars!" Dizzy shouted.  
  
Testament scoffed. "What a pathetic human pastime..." Still, the image of Sol limping in  
bloodied or worse appealed to him somewhat, and after a moment's thought called out, "75 on the  
knight."  
  
"Justice will prevail!" Potemkin bellowed. "300 on Ky!"  
  
Venom smiled behind his hair as several more calls for bets filled the air. "Excellent,  
excellent..."  
  
-----  
  
It was a grassy plain that ended suddenly at a cliff a hundred feet over the ocean. A single tree  
grew near the edge of the cliff, and there was a forest on the opposite side of the clearing.  
Sol lounged against the side of the tree, smoking a cigarette while the Fireseal lay next to him.  
He opened one eye as Ky approached, sighing heavily.  
  
Sol removed the nearly spent cigarette from his lips and dropped it to the ground before crushing  
it with his shoe. "Right on time as usual," he grumbled. "Ain't that typical..."  
  
Ky replied, "Punctuality is a virtue in any age, Sol. And THAT is littering."  
  
Sol picked his sword up from the ground as he rotated his neck to work out the kinks. "Yeah,  
yeah. You gonna bore me to death with another of your lectures, or will I have to knock you out  
again to shut you up?"  
  
Ky took a deep breath as he held his Thunderseal at the ready. "I see you can't wait either. It  
doesn't feel right unless we meet at once like this, does it?"  
  
Sol shrugged. "Maybe to you. I kinda don't care. I just figure if I put you in traction, maybe  
you'll leave me alone for a while."  
  
"Shut up! Prepare yourself!"  
  
Ky rushed forward, using a variety of stabbing attacks to try and break through Sol's defenses.  
Sol lazily deflected the blows, and countered with a few similarly ineffective ones of his own.  
Ky was becoming annoyed; not because his attacks were being wasted, but because Sol was still  
holding back. He could tell by the way he held the blade, by the disinterested frown on his face,  
and especially by the feel of the impact. No matter how hard or soft Ky struck, Sol always  
returned with the exact same force. He was playing around. 'Fine, then,' he thought. 'I'll make  
him get serious!'   
  
He suddenly slid low to the ground, trying to trip Sol. Sol just leapt over the attack, which is  
precisely what Ky expected. Grinding his heel hard into the dirt, Ky stopped his slide, and with  
an added burst of effort sent himself airborne. He slashed again at Sol with his trademark _Vapor  
Thrust_, which Sol again dodged. Sol landed on the ground, his sword drooling flames in  
anticipation as Ky slowly fell down towards him. But Ky had other plans. He flipped and again  
put Sol on the defense by firing a bolt of concentrated lightning from his sword directly at Sol.  
Sol leapt backwards just enough for the bolt to miss him, allowing Ky to land safely.  
  
Sol stuck his sword into the ground, causing a large wave of explosions to come rushing at Ky. Ky  
tried to counter with another _Stun Edge_, but it was swallowed up by the explosions without having  
any effect. Ky shielded his face with his arms as the flames struck him, setting his uniform  
ablaze. The _Gun Flame_ had already knocked him to the ground, and he quickly rolled to put out the  
flames.  
  
As he quickly leapt back into fighting position, Sol dashed forward, his head low and the Fireseal  
leaving a trail of flames where the edge scraped along the ground. 'What a terrible way to treat  
your weapon,' Ky thought briefly as he somersaulted forward, bringing his sword crashing down as  
lightning trailed from the blade, creating phantom images in its wake. At the same time Sol  
brought his own blade up, and _Greed Sever_ met _Volcanic Viper_ in a spray of flame, lightning, and  
sparks. Both men planted their feet on the ground, but kept their two blades locked.  
  
"That's a new one," Sol remarked about Ky's last maneuver, pushing against Ky's blade with his  
own one-handedly.   
  
"That's only the first of my new tricks."  
  
Sol raised an eyebrow. "You're a bit feisty today, aren't you?"   
  
Ky's scowl deepened as he warned, "You'd better fight seriously, or I might win this time."  
  
"I doubt it."  
  
Ky took Sol's words as a challenge, and leapt backwards to break off the contest. "I'll make you  
get serious, Sol," he promised. "Even if it takes everything I have!"  
  
Sol stuck his sword into the ground again, calling out, "_Gun Flame_!" as another series of  
explosions shot toward Ky. Ky came up with a plan; 'If a _Stun Edge_ isn't enough... then how  
about...!'  
  
"_SACRED EDGE_!" The Thunderseal glowed with a bright blue light as a massive bolt of electricity  
came into being, heading swiftly for Sol. The _Gun Flame_ was unceremoniously torn apart, and Sol  
raised his blade between himself and Ky's shot. The electric bolt plowed into his sword, causing  
Sol to slide backward along the ground from the immense pressure. He leaned to the side, guiding  
the rest of Ky's _Sacred Edge_ past him with the Fireseal. Sol felt his hair stand on end  
as the wave of electricity passed, the shot eventually burying itself in a large tree some fifty  
feet away. The tree itself didn't survive the impact; the base exploded into splinters, and the  
rest of it fell to the ground with a mighty crash. The next three trees behind it suffered the  
same fate.  
  
'This time,' Ky thought. 'This time, I'll win.'  
  
-----  
  
Sol whistled as he observed the destruction cause by Ky's last attack. 'He's gotten a little  
better. Not enough, though.' He heard running footsteps, and his gaze returned to his opponent  
just in time. Ky held his sword at shoulder level, the blade flashing blue. The electricity  
solidified into a solid globe, Ky in the center. Ky gently lifted off the ground and began to  
glide swiftly toward Sol.  
  
'_Ride the Lightning_, huh? The kid's going all out,' Sol thought. 'I wonder how long he can  
keep this kind of pace up.' He leapt skyward, into the air and over the globe. He turned as soon  
as he landed, knowing Ky would want to press his attack. Sure enough, Ky was right there with a  
series of slashing attacks. Sol parried them, allowing himself to be slowly pushed back.  
  
Sol stuck his sword into the ground again, but didn't bother releasing magical energy. He called  
out, "Gun Flame!" without releasing the flames in an attempt to fake Ky out. The gambit worked;  
Ky raised his sword again and shouted, "_SACRED EDGE_!" as he fired another giant bolt of  
lightning.  
  
'I think I got enough room,' Sol estimated as he slid low to the ground. Flames wrapped around  
his sword as he shouted out, "_Grand Viper_!" He ducked low, letting the bolt slide  
harmlessly over his head.  
  
Sol assumed that Ky would not be able to defend against the attack; he would still be recovering  
from the _Sacred Edge_. But he was wrong. Ky leapt into the air, performing a forward-moving  
somersault as he swept his blade under him. "_Crescent Slash_!" Sol had to call off his  
attack and revert to defense. He really didn't want to test whether his unprotected neck could  
take a direct hit from the Thunderseal; if Sol hadn't brought his blade up at that moment, he  
might have been decapitated.  
  
'Huh... that was a little close,' Sol thought as Fuenken and Furaiken clashed once more. He leapt  
backward, gathering fire energy in his left palm. 'Guess I'd better finish this up before lunch  
gets cold.'  
  
Ky rushed forward to meet Sol, sweat pouring down his face from the amount of energy he had  
already expended. Sol didn't budge. He simply formed a ball of fire in his hand, and almost  
casually tossed it forward. "_Tyrant_..." He then slashed it with his sword, turning the tiny  
ball into a raging inferno. "_RAVE_!" A massive wall of flames erupted between him and the  
young captain, and Sol scoffed a bit. No way that poof could stop that, especially after spending  
all his energy on those last attacks. As always, for all the knight's hard work, he was still  
just a boy.  
  
"_Rising_..."  
  
Sol's eyes shot wide open. 'What in the hell is that kid trying to...?!'  
  
"_FORCE_!"  
  
His question was answered as the Thunderseal, bathed in blue light, tore a huge hole through the  
wall of flames. It continued without slowing, plowing into and through the prototype Gear. He  
grunted in pain as he felt Ky's sword penetrate his left shoulder. It didn't stay there long;  
the blue light erupted into a massive blast of energy, tearing him off the blade almost  
immediately. He was sent toppling end over end while kicking up dust and leaving a gouge in the  
earth the whole way. He finally managed to slide to a stop about fifty feet from the impact,  
electricity still coursing its way along his body as he lay flat on his back.  
  
'Ow... that kinda hurt,' Sol admitted to himself as he coughed the dust out of his lungs. This  
was, of course, an understatement; were he not a Gear, that probably would have disintegrated  
most of his chest. If he were not the prototype Gear, it still would have killed him without any  
trouble. He opened one eye, staring straight up into the sun high in the blue cloudless sky. He  
took a deep breath as he thought to himself, 'I screwed up... a fluke, but the kid's definitely  
gotten better. I bet he thinks he can actually beat me... I think it's time for someone to wake  
up from his little dream.'  
  
Sol plunged the Fireseal into the ground, using it as leverage to stand. "Final..." he grunted.  
  
"Let's rock."  
  
------  
  
Ky still held his sword straight out, completely out of breath and in much worse shape than Sol.  
He stared at Sol's fallen form several meters away, daring to believe that, at long last, he had  
finally won.  
  
Then, Sol's right arm rose and dug the Fireseal into the ground, using it for leverage as he  
lifted himself off of the ground. Ky's shoulders fell in disbelief, the Thunderseal's tip  
scraping against the ground as he panted for air. "You... You've got to be kidding..."  
  
Sol approached Ky slowly, only minutely aware of the blood running from the wound in his shoulder.  
He gave Ky a tiny, almost imperceptible smile. "Not bad."  
  
Ky gasped, never having heard those words from Sol's lips before.   
  
The moment was short lived. An unholy scream flew from Sol's lips as he focused his power, and a  
massive red aura surrounded him. It happened so fast Ky didn't even have time to form an  
effective defense. Even if he had the time, he was far too tired to parry anything. The last  
words he heard were "_DRAGON INSTAAAAAAALL_!" before he was engulfed in a massive pillar of  
flames. 'How?' he wondered as he felt his feet leave the ground. 'How can he move so fast...?'  
  
Ky felt himself getting lifted higher and higher into the air, flames swirling all around him.  
Though he willed otherwise, the Thunderseal slowly slipped from his grip. As he screamed in pain,  
he realized, 'This is it... this is Sol fighting for real...It has to be...'  
  
He landed on his stomach hard, the Thunderseal landing in the ground point-first a short distance  
away. He felt the ground shudder again as Sol landed, creating a shallow crater at the point of  
impact. Sol stood slowly, the red aura fading.  
  
"But not that good, either," Sol warned. "Just give up trying to beat me, boy. If that's the  
best you got, you don't have a chance. One of these days, you might end up getting hurt." He  
looked down at Ky and sighed, "Don't tell me you're unconscious already. There ain't a single  
hospital on the whole damn island, and the mansion's two miles away. If you think I'm gonna carry  
you all the way back, then..." He stopped and narrowed his eyes at Ky. He then threw the  
Fireseal into the ground in disgust, burying it almost to the hilt as he cursed, "God damn it!"  
  
-----  
  
When Ky regained consciousness he was slung over Sol's right shoulder, stomach down. The  
Thunderseal had been replaced at its side, and Sol held the Fireseal in his off hand. Sol made no  
attempt to make the ride pleasant, and at times seemed to veer off course specifically to make the  
trip rougher than it had to be.  
  
Ky took a deep breath. "I... lost again."  
  
"Of course you did. You lose every time."  
  
Ky lifted his head slightly. "And... I really thought... I had you for a moment... Sol? Can I...  
ask a favor?"  
  
Sol sighed tiredly, "Nobody's stopping you."  
  
"What you did... at the end..." Ky whispered. "Next time... fight me like that. The whole time.  
I think... I've earned at least that much."  
  
Sol scoffed. "What makes you think there's gonna be a next time?"  
  
"There will always be a next time... as long as I breathe..."  
  
Sol grumbled, "Will you shut up? Every time you open your mouth, you start bleeding again. Do  
you have any idea how much of a pain in the ass it is to get blood out of these duds?"  
  
Ky gave a short chuckle. "Of course I do. I bleed on my uniform more than yours."  
  
Sol raised an eyebrow. "You're telling jokes now? I must have hit you harder than I thought."  
Ky coughed a bit, smiling, before letting his head fall again.  
  
'Dammit,' Sol thought to himself. 'I only used the Dragon Install because I figured it would  
finally show him the difference between us... why he could never, ever win. But... I don't think  
he even cares about winning anymore. The psycho just wants to fight me to test his own strength.  
Because he knows that he can't find any opponents stronger than me... that guy just pisses me  
off sometimes.'  
  
His eyes rolled in his sockets to look again at the young commander on his shoulder. Ky's head  
was down, his eyes closed. Ky's mouth parted slightly, the telling sign that he had lost  
consciousness again. Sol let his expression soften ever so slightly as he looked at Ky's face.  
'Still... I can't remember when the last time I used Dragon Install on a non-Gear. And in the  
kind of condition he was in, I'm surprised he only came out this bad.'  
  
He allowed himself to smile, knowing he would be the only one to ever know about it. 'Maybe...  
maybe he has earned that much. At the very least, it would get him out of my hair quicker.'  
  
----  
  
Dust Loop: A high-level Sol technique that relies on well-timed Air Dusts in the corner to produce  
a lame looking, but insanely damaging, combo. The technique is one of my pet peeves, since it  
involves relatively little skill for a huge damage payoff, and also because I find his Air Dust  
voice quote EXTREMELY annoying to hear several times in a row.  
  
Sol & Ky: Some authors think these two are in love with each other. Others think they want to  
kill each other. In my opinion their relationship isn't so simple that it can be summed up in a  
few words, but for brevity's sake I'll try. Ky considers Sol his rival, Sol likens Ky to a fly  
(annoying but not really dangerous or worth bothering with much), and their personality  
differences are simply too great for either one to realize they're actually on the same side.  
  
Next chapter: Just when we're getting back into familiar territory, things get weird again!  
Baiken crosses one line too many with Faust, and things take a turn for the surreal. Now it's  
Axl matching wits against Anji in a public forum that makes Jerry Springer look like the Supreme  
Court, with the fate of everyone's favorite one-armed samurai hanging in the balance. And she,  
of course, couldn't care less. **_Part 6 - The People vs. Baiken Sesshino_**, next time!  



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